Illinois Becomes First State To Effectively Ban Book Bans

Amid a growing national push from conservatives to pull certain books off the shelves of libraries and classrooms, Democrats in Illinois have become the first to push through anti-book-ban legislation that would punish libraries for partisan restrictions.

It requires public libraries receiving state funding to adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which calls on libraries to “challenge censorship” and says materials should “not be excluded because of origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.”

The legislation was spearheaded by Illinois’ newly elected Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who told the Chicago Tribune that “radical attacks on our libraries have divided our communities and our librarians have been harassed, threatened and intimidated for simply doing their jobs.”

This law comes amid a rise in book banning, particularly books centered around LGBTQ+ topics or civil rights issues. In public schools, book bans increased by 28% in the first half of the 2022-23 school year, according to a report from PEN America, which called the efforts a “relentless crusade to constrict children’s freedom to read.” The report lists Gender Queer: A Memoir, The 1619 Project and The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel as among those most commonly banned.